HUSH
by tiffanywillow
Summary: One day, the world woke and realized their voices had been stolen. The sailor scouts lost their abilities to transform. The evil Gentlemen dispersed the army all over the world and children were kidnapped in all the cities. The scouts must fight in their civilian forms in order to save the world... Subtext pairing: Rei/Usagi, Ami/Makato
1. The Beginning

**Chapter 1-The Beginning**

* * *

"Today we are talking about how to communicate effectively in different social situations. Please turn your textbook to page 23." The teacher instructed. Bored out of her mind, Rei sighed and slowly took out her book. She turned and stared out the window while the teacher continued talking.

All of a sudden, the sky turned dark. The sun was gone. Confused, Rei looked around and the classroom was empty. Where did everyone go?

A menacing melody started playing in the hallway. Rei stood up and followed the music. As she got closer, she could hear a little girl singing.

 _Can't even shout_

 _Can't even cry_

 _The gentlemen are coming by_

 _Looking in windows_

 _Knocking on doors_

 _They need to take seven_

 _And they might take yours_

 _Can't call to mum_

 _Can't say a word_

 _Y_ _ou're gonna die screaming_

 _But you won't be heard._

The girl continued to sing as Rei approached. In her hand, she held a box with weird markings on it. Perplexed, Rei stood and stared at the weird girl. She didn't sense any evil but the event was nothing short of strange. Sensing someone behind her, she turned and found Michiru. She had the same confused look on her face. The two soldiers made eye contacts.

"Hino San, nice dream?" The teacher slammed down her ruler, making a loud smacking sound. Rei jerked awake and paled at the sight of the angry teacher. "Please make your way to the office. You are having detention today."

Rei muttered an apology and walked head down out of the classroom. So it was just a dream? Or was it a vision? Michiru was there, why was she there?

* * *

Michiru opened her eyes and stared at Haruka. "I just had a vision. Something is coming." Haruka showed a flash of concern, but it quickly disappeared. "Michi, your reading has been off lately. What is it this time? "

"I am not sure. I saw a little girl singing a strange song. Something about can't even shout can't even cry. Also, Rei was there. We both sensed this thing."

Haruka slowly unbutton her shirt and climbed on top of Michiru. "Can the apocalypse wait?" She smiled at her lover mischievously.

"Perhaps…." The sea goddess smiled and lay back on the bed...

* * *

"Mamo-chan, can you tell Usagi to stooooop?" Chibiusa ran to Mamoru for help. He turned, reluctantly and stared at his girlfriend, who was still bickering loudly in his living room.

"Mamo- Chan, you will help me with the costume right? I picked this scary fairy tale and I am going to dress up as the Gentlemen. But Usagi said it was stupid." The child pouted and stuck out her tongue at Usagi.

"Mamo- Chan, what kind of monsters steals voices? I am just telling Chibiusa to pick something even scarier. Like little red riding hood, where the wolf can swallow a person whole." Usagi made a face and growled at Chibiusa. "I am the wolf. I like yummy little girls. Mwhahahah"

Mamochan put a hand to his forehead and slowly rubbed it. He could feel a headache creeping inside. The loud ruckus those two were making was not helping.

 _Ding dong._ The doorbell rang and Usagi dashed to open it. "The girls are here. Now we can start our study session."

Mamoru sighed, realizing there wouldn't be any peace or quiet for at least another few hours. He was going away for a month and he had hoped to have a quiet, romantic night with his Usako. Unfortunately, Usagi made other plans. Mamoru said hi to Ami, Mako, Mina and Rei, and then excused himself and retired to his bedroom.

"Uh oh Usagi. What did u do?" Rei accused.

"Ahhhhh nothing. You are so mean. Mamo-chan said he was having a headache." Usagi whined.

"And yet you are so loud. What kind of girlfriend are you Usagi?" Amused, Rei continued to push the princess's buttons. This was the song and dance between the two of them, endless teasing and endless fights. It was something Rei had look forward to all day. She needed to take her mind off the crazy dream she had. That sense of unease seemed to have grown inside the fire senshi and Rei couldn't seem to shake it…

"I am not loud. You are the loud one, Rei Chan." Usagi increased her decibels, causing everyone to wince.

Luckily, Ami stepped in before Usagi's voice turned supersonic. "Let's get started. I want to finish all five chapters today before we go home tonight." The group groaned but settled down. Chibiusa pulled out her homework too and sat beside Mina.

"Oh, what are you writing?" Already distracted, Mina peaked at Chibiusas book.

"I am rewriting the fairy tale. I am going to turn it into a play and present it to the class. This monster is super cool. He steals people's voices."

"Why?"

"So that when he comes out at night, you can't cry for help. You can't even shout."

Rei's heart stopped! She yanked the notebook out of Chibiusa's hand and started scanning the page. Something wasn't right. It wasn't a coincident that she dreamed that right? Was she being paranoid?

"What's wrong?" Mako asked, as she noticed Rei's panic in her eyes.

"Hahahaha nothing." Trying to cover up her fear, Rei waved her hands and gave off a loud nervous laugh. "I had a dream about this monster earlier in class. It was just weird. But fairy tales are not real right? Hahahaha"

Everyone looked up at Rei, worried at first, then busted out laughing. Of course fairy tales weren't real. They had enough real monsters to fight with already...

The incident was soon forgotten as the group continued with their study session.

* * *

"Good night Chibiusa." Usagi peeked into the child's room. On the hanger was chibiusa's very scary costume. She must admit it was very good, and very scary. That blank mask with the frozen smile. Usagi wondered if it would give Chibiusa a nightmare tonight...

"Good night Usagi." Chibiusa replied from under the cover. "Can you turn off the light? Thanks."

* * *

All over Tokyo, its citizens were either going to bed or were already fallen asleep. Unknown to them, a spaceship had appeared over the northern hemisphere. The gentlemen flew out of the ship and dispersed themselves to different countries in the world. With synchronicity, they cast their spells over the world. They laughed silently and congratulated each other. Come tomorrow, the world would be silent….


	2. Powerless

**Chapter 2-Powerless**

* * *

The sun peeked through the curtains, shining a beam of light at Usagi. The princess stirredlazily and snuggled back under the cover. Beep. Beep. The familiar alarm went off. Usagi looked at the clock. As usual, she was going to be late. Usagi opened  
her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. She cleared her throat twice and tried again. No sound.

A frantic knock on the door jolted her out of bed. Chibiusa came bursting in, crying silently. Gone were her usual supersonic crying sound, instead Usagi felt like she was watching a silent movie.

What is going on? She thought. Usagi went to check on her parents and her brother. They too were freaking out downstairs, screaming their silent screams. Shingo saw Usagi and mouthed some words. Couldn't figure what he was saying, Usagi shrugged. She  
pointed at her mouth, indicating that she too couldn't talk.

Dad switched on the TV, and flipped through the channels. It was all but static. Finally, there was one channel showing a written message. "The world was infected with a weird strain of virus, causing everyone to lose their voices. All schools and businesses  
are closed until further notice. Please stay home and stay calm."

"Meow" Luna came up and rubbed against Usagi's leg. She tilted her head, signaling Usagi to follow her. "Oh thank god, Luna. You must know what's going on." Usagi pleaded silently. Luna started talking, but instead of her usual voice, it was a string  
of meows. The cat blanched, as she realized she couldn't talk either. Frustrated, she grabbed a pen and started writing, awkwardly. "Senshi meeting. Now!"

* * *

Haruka woke and found the house unusually quiet. She looked at the clock. 8am. Michiru should be cooking and Hotaru should be getting ready for "home school" with Setsuna. She didn't hear anything from the kitchen. The usually chaotic house was silent.

She opened the bedroom door as she called out for Michiru. Hmm, no sound. Haruka chuckled to herself. That was probably too much screaming last night.

She was surprised to see Michiru, Setsuna and Hotaru already dressed and they were huddled over the TV. The same emergency message was displayed on the screen.

Hotaru turned and ran to Haruka. She mouthed the word "papa" but there was no sound. Alarmed, she looked at her wife. Michiru slowly shook her head and pointed to her throat.

"Ahh. Hello. Ahhhhh" Haruka tried to vocalize once more. Her heart started to pound...if all the voices were gone...that meant...no, it can't be. Haruka took out her transformation wand and shouted silently "Uranus planet power, make up."

The rest of the family looked on with horror as the transformation failed to happen. The pen stayed inactive and Haruka was still Haruka.

Setsuna flipped open her communicator and called everyone. Usagi's face came online and she waved sadly at the screen. Setsuna typed "senshi meeting at Rei's in an hour." The princess gave a thumbs up.

* * *

Rei stared at the fire, dismay to find no information about the new enemy. Someone, or something was powerful enough to steal everyone's voices in one night. It must be the gentlemen she saw in her vision. The prophetic dream she shared with Michiru.

Defeated, Rei stood up and walked out of the room. Grandpa was just about to leave the temple, heaving a big bag behind him. Seeing Rei, he gestured to her to come help.

Rei opened the bag and saw a lot of white boards. Each was marked with a price sticker. 2000 yen. Rei looked at Grandpa with disbelief. How did he know?

Grandpa wrote: "Psychic. Good idea for business." Rei shook her head. Grandpa hoisted the bag back onto his back and walked down the temple stairs.

"Wait", Rei tried to shout and then rolled her eyes. She ran after Grandpa and tapped him on the shoulder. She grabbed ten white boards out of the bag, much to grandpa's protest. She shothim the look and he relented. He waved his fingers at Rei  
and muttered silently. Rei gave him a brief hug and then ran back to the temple.

* * *

Ami, Mako and Mina walked in silence. Tokyo, the city that was always busy, was eerily deserted. Some people wondered aimlessly on the streets, but with all the business closed, Tokyo looked like a ghost town. Artemis meowed, then pointed at the big TV  
on top of the Juan shopping centre. The written statement from the authorities was splashed across the screen, but there was a new update. "Night curfew starts at nine pm. Please stay home for your own safety. Army personnel had been deployed to help  
maintain order. Stay tuned for more updates."

Mina mouthed the word "army" and raised her eyebrows. Things were escalating quickly. Mako cracked her knuckles. Reduced to nonverbal communication, Mako expressed her anger by growling. Surprised, Ami turned and couldn't help but laugh a little. She  
pulled out her Mercury computer and started to type. The girls leaned in. It read, "Hold your horses Mako. We need a target first before we can fight."

For someone that had so much to say, Mina eyed the computer with new desire. She grabbed it from Ami and started to type in frenzy. "Hi, Ami. hi, Mako. Goooooooood morning. Oh my gosh it feels so good to talk." Mina let out a sigh and handed the computer  
back.

"Come on, let's get to Rei's place. We will figure out a way to get our voices back." Ami typed her last message and then closed her computer. She grabbed the two and quickened her pace.

As soon as Ami walked in, the rest of the scouts came up to her and looked at her expectantly. Haruka took out her wand and waved it, then made a shrug. Ami nodded, as she already knew, that none of them could transform without their voices.

Usagi pushed the gang away and gave Ami a long hug. She grabbed one of the whiteboards Reihad prepared for them and wrote "hi, Ami". The water senshi smiled.

Ami sat herself down and pulled out her computer. The gang waited anxiously as she typed a long message. When done, Ami pressed play and a computerize voice spoke.

"I have been dictating my class notes to my computer for a while now, so it has a good sample

of my voice. Right now it's calculating in the background and tried to find my frequency and formants of my voice. I might be able to get the computer to say my line. We will see if it can help me get transformed."

Mina quickly jot down her response on the whiteboard. "I have recordings of my voice too. I

have been making my own CDs. Do me next."

"Singing is different from talking. Anyway, I don't know if this will work. We will see. The computer should be done with its calculation in about an hour." Ami typed.

Michiru tapped Rei on the shoulder. "Nothing in the mirror", Michiru wrote on the whiteboard. Rei replied that she couldn't get anything from her fire reading as well. Whatever visions they experienced yesterday was gone.

"What kind of monster can steal people's voices? Why?" Usagi wrote down the most important question and showed it to the room.

An audible gasp came from Chibiusa. She looked horrified as she searched through her backpack. She pulled out her big book of children's fairy tale and flipped through it frantically. Curious, Hotaru looked over her shoulder. The soldier of silence looked  
at the monster Chibiusa was pointing at, and couldn't help but shudder.

The gang leaned in to read the story.

 _Once upon a time, there were a group of monsters called the Gentlemen. They would arrive every 100 years. The gentlemen would come at night and steal your voice._

 _One day, a small town woke up to find everyone was turned voiceless. No more hellos, no more good mornings. The children didn't think it was scary at first…._

 _When nighttime came, the Gentlemen would come out to play. Floating through the town, they would pick their victims. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. They needed to collect seven._

 _In the next town over, a brave princess volunteered to go in and help the people. Armed with arrows and swords, the princess ventured into the cursed town. She courageously walked into the cave and confronted the monsters._

 _It was a scary battle and the Gentlemen almost won. The princess was pinned down. She was in grave danger. The gentlemen took out their knives and smiled at her. The princess was finally scared. She let out a piercing scream…._

 _The gentlemen backed away and covered their ears. One by one, they exploded. The magic was reversed and everyone got their voices back._

"Seven what?" Mina wrote. Everyone looked at Chibiusa but the small child simply shrugged. "The teacher told us to be creative with this assignment. No one knows what the gentlemen took. I was going to act out a scene where the gentlemen took your pure  
heart." Chibiusa wrote.

Ding. The Mercury computer pinged, momentarily distracting everyone. A broad smile appeared on Ami's face, her excitement was palatable. She took out her wand, took a deep breath and pressed play on the computer. A slightly computerized Ami's voice yelled,  
"Mercury planet power, make up."

The pen blinked once and then sizzled out. Ami stood, untransformed, in the middle of the room. Unwilling to give up so easily, Ami tweaked some settings and then pressed play again. The pen stayed dormant and the power stayed sealed within.

The gang looked at each other and felt the dread spreading in the room. Without their powers, how could they defeat the enemy?


	3. They Need Seven

**Chapter 3-They Need Seven**

* * *

Once again, night fell and darkness shrouded the city. Police patrolled the street and ushered people to return home. The already quiet city turned silent.

Ami tossed and turned in bed, disturbed by the unfolding events of today. Her plan to use the computer to unlock the senshi powers was a fail. With all her brilliance, Ami had no idea on what to do next.

She got up and walked to the window. The crescent moon hung in the sky, illuminating the streets below. Most of the skyscrapers' lights were out. Tokyo was darker than usual. Ami sighed and pressed her forehead against the window.

Her communicator beeped and a message appeared. It was Mako. "Going to patrol the streets a bit. Minako, Michiru and Haruka are with me. Don't worry."

The four strongest fighters. Ami clenched her fists, wishing that she could fight too. Even in their civilian forms, those four were still stronger than most. More than once had Mako flungmonsters over her shoulder. That girl's strength was unparalleled  
in this world.

"No. I will fight this with my own strength." Ami thought. She flipped open her Mercury computer and continued to research. She hoped that she was smart enough to figure out a plan that would save them all.

* * *

The gentlemen floated through the streets, silence and menacing. In groups of 2 or 3, the intruders spread throughout Tokyo, in search of their targets. Coming to a stop in front of a house, one gentleman pointed at the door and nodded his head in approval.

Knock, knock. He raised his skeletal hands and pounded on the door.

A young mother was just tucking her toddler into bed. She was startled by the knock but wasn't alarmed. Her husband was supposed to return soon. Perhaps he lost his keys again. She unlocked the lock and turned the doorknob...

The gentlemen floated through the door. The young mother let out a silent scream. She turned and started running towards her baby. A flash of light sent forth by one of the gentlemen and the young mother was turned to stone.

The monsters slowly made their way up. The toddler was awake and crying silently. One gentleman bent down and scooped up the child. He raised the baby like a prize and showed him to everyone. The monsters clapped and celebrated...

The senshi walked past the house, unaware of the tragedy happening inside. Michiru had felt the evil before, but was unable to pinpoint the location. The victims, unable to shout, were left on their own...

* * *

Heavy footsteps ran up the stairs and threw open Usagi's door. Chibiusa shook the princess violently until she opened her eyes.

Groggily, Usagi rubbed her eyes and stared at the child. "What?" She mouthed.

Chibiusa tapped at the newspaper she was holding. Usagi opened it and stared in horror at the headline...

 _Three Children Kidnapped; Families Turned to Stone_

* * *

Tzzz. Tzzz. Setsuna set down the drill and looked at her handiwork. Two new locks, slightly unaligned, were added to the front door. Now that they were civilians, Setsuna had to take extrameasure in order to protect Hotaru. The newspaper said three  
children were kidnapped, spanning the age of 2 to 12. The soldier of silence would be their ideal target.

Hotaru was reading the newspaper in the living room. Visibly upset, she ran to Setsuna. She pointed at the paper and mouthed the word "Chibiusa".

Setsuna nodded. She figured the inner scouts would make sure to keep Small Lady safe. As forHotaru, Michiru, Haruka and her would make sure the little firefly is safe as well. "I want to see Chibiusa." Hotaru wrote on her whiteboard. "I can protect  
her." "You will. Senshi meeting in an hour at Rei's." Setsuna replied.

* * *

Rei coughed as the dust flown out of the closet. It had been ages since anyone opened it. Past a few layers of junk, Rei reached in and took out a big briefcase. She caressed the top of the case and thought of her mother. It was the last birthday gift  
she got, before her mama passed away. Rei opened the box. It was a bow and a case of arrows. The fire senshi might not be able to use her attacks, but she could sniper this arrow into any enemies' eyes with deadly precision.

The temple was hushed. Ten senshi sat quietly while Ami typed on the computer. After a full night of research, Ami found the true event that inspired the fairy tale. 100 years ago, in a remote village, everyone lost their voices in one night. The gentlemen  
were sighted by a few but the witnesses were thought to be crazy. Seven families were turned into statues and seven children were taken. The little ones were never seen again. One person in the village claimed that she saw a little girl walked by  
from the neighbouring village. She saw the monsters and screamed. The monsters covered their ears and their heads exploded. After the incident, the voices were restored. The village, unable to process what had happened, turned it into a fairy tale.  
It became a precautionary tale to tell families not to open their doors to strangers. Over the years, the actual event was forgotten but the story remained.

"Why children? For their energy?" Mina wrote.

Ami shrugged. The gentlemen seemed to be mute. The community never found out why the children were taken. At least now they know what the gentlemen were after.

Mina wrote a long message on the board and then turned it around to show everyone. In her civilian form, she didn't forget she was still the general.

Jobs:

Rei, Setsuna: protect Usagi, Chibiusa and Hotaru

Me, Michiru, Haruka and Mako: patrol streets. Investigate any weird movements you see in the houses. Victims can't scream!

Ami: keep researching for weaknesses.

Ami held up her finger, telling everyone to wait. She pulled out a bag underneath the table. One by one, she laid the objects on the table. Pepper sprays, tazers, whistles and some hunting knives. "Choose your weapons." She wrote. "Everyone take one whistle."

Haruka picked up the longest knife and swung it around. She mouthed the word "space sword" to Michiru. Mako picked up the tazer and pressed the button. Electricity crackled and Mako smiled.

Michiru handed a knife to Rei but Rei shook her head. Smiling proudly, she pulled out her bow. "Mars flame sniper". Rei mouthed the word as she pulled on the bow string. The fire senshi also pulled out the arrows and a lighter. Rei made the gesture that  
she could light up the arrows if needed. Flame sniper, indeed.

Armed and ready, the group was prepared for the battle ahead.


	4. Arrested

**Chapter 4-Arrested**

* * *

 _Knock knock_. Then the door slid open. Rei poked her head through the door, checking on Usagi and Chibiusa. The two bunnies were fast asleep, one on top of another. Rei wondered if Chibiusa could breathe with all that weight on her.

She decided to re-arrange them a bit. Tip toeing over to the cot, Rei bent down to move Usagi's leg. The princess stirred, causing Rei to lose her balance. She fell squarely on top of Usagi, her lips inches away from the princess's.

Usagi's eyes shot open. What was that crushing weight? She opened her eyes and blushed. Rei was on top of her, her luscious hair falling to one side. Her robe was tugged on one side, revealing part of her shoulder. Ba-dum. She felt her heart started to race.

Embarrassed, Rei jumped up and rearrange her outfit. She was saying something, but Usagi couldn't read her lips in the dark. Then, she felt something kicking...underneath her. Then a small pair of hands started pushing...

Chibiusa came out gasping for air. "Baka. Baka Usagi". Even in the dark, that was easy to read. Usagi duck her head and mouth her apology.

Rei took the whiteboard and wrote: you were crushing Chibiusa. I was just trying to move you. Rei was glad it was dark. Her face must be as red as a tomato. Rei pinched herself hard, trying to stop thinking about those lips. Kissing those lips...if Chibiusa wasn't there, she might not have the same self control.

Usagi waved her hand and started laughing. Even without sounds, Rei could tell it was one of her awkward laughs. Did the princess feel something too? Rei shook her head and stood up. She made the sleep gesture and pretended to yawn. She waved goodbye and left the room, heart pounding.

* * *

Haruka drove slowly through the streets of Tokyo. Avoiding police checkpoints, she made her way zigzagging through the city. Michiru kept her eyes open for any weird movements. "One for left, two for right. One short one long for ...yes or no?" Haruka tried to review the codes Michiru just invented. "Should I ask? She's going to yell at me for not listening."

Beep beep. The sea goddess commanded.

Haruka turned right. Michiru was pointing at a house up ahead. A light was rocking back and forth in one of the upstairs windows. Haruka slowed the car into a crawl and turned off the headlight. If Michiru could talk, she would probably complain that none of the sports cars were stealthy.

The front door was ajar when they got there. Haruka could feel her adrenaline flooding through her body, readying herself for the battle ahead. She and Michiru had never fought in their civilian forms before. Powers aside, the sailor fuku was essential for self protection.

"Ami, Ami. You raided the weapon store but you couldn't get a longer sword?" Haruka shook her head as she got out her hunting knife. It was half the length of the space sword, which meant she would have to get closer to the enemy.

Slowly, the pair made their way up the stairs. The light in the room was still oscillating, casting dancing shadows in the dark hallway. Haruka hold up her finger, halting Michiru. She kicked the door open and her knife raised...

The room was empty. There were signs of struggle. Toys were knocked over and the blanket was thrown on the floor. Michiru picked up the family photo that was on the ground. The girl looked around 5 or 6 years old. Haruka opened the closet and found the parents. Their faces of horror were frozen, their arms outstretched in vain…

Just then, a bright light flashed and a computerized voice said : put down your weapons and kneel on the floor. You are under arrest. Four cops came in, guns raised.

Haruka looked at Michiru and raised an eyebrow. With their speed, they could fight their way through this mess. Michiru shook her head and mouthed "no". She then knelt and put her hands behind her head. Haruka groaned and followed.

* * *

Mako and Mina walked silently through the streets. Their senses on high alert, they kept their eyes out for the gentlemen.

Just then, Mina's police scanner came to life. A robotic voice reported, "Two suspects captured. One male one female. Crime scene at 4-7 Hommachi 2-CHOURME."

Mako pointed at the radio and then made the running gesture. Mina agreed. They should go and investigate.

Mina flipped open the communicator to call Haruka and Michiru. The address was in their patrol zone, maybe they could head over first.

The screen came on, but instead of seeing Michiru, it was a policeman. Mina yelped silently and cut the connection.

"What?" Mako gestured.

"Haruka was the male suspect and Michiru was the female suspect." Mina wrote. "What should we do?" Mako took the whiteboard from Mina.

The love senshi smiled and mouth the word "nothing. Let's go. Crime scene." The cops arrested Michiru and Haruka. Mina knew those two could handle themselves. Right now, the priority would be to follow the clues from the house to the possible hide out of the gentlemen.

* * *

Haruka sat sullenly at the back of the police car. They sure tighten those handcuffs nowadays. She tried to wiggle it but managed to tighten them more.

Michiru nudged Haruka and gave her a flirtatious smile. She rattled the handcuffs and then winked.

"Ah hum." Haruka cleared her throat silently, as she felt the heat rising in the car.

Michiru slid over and maneuver herself so that she was sitting on Haruka's thighs. The car was hushed except the very loud heartbeat of the sky soldier. Michiru then raised her hands and felt for Haruka's buttons. Skillfully, using only one hand, Michiru popped open two. Haruka gulped hard as she felt her lover's hand slid inside the blouse, over her binding.

Instead of going further though, Michiru stopped when her hand reached the pin. The pin that was holding the bindings. Haruka looked down, surprised. Then she realized that was Michiru's intent all along.

Michiru slid back to her seat, but not before turning seductively and winked at Haruka. Within seconds, Michiru got out of her handcuff and then helped Haruka get out of hers. Then they both leaned back, and kicked in unison. The back door plopped open and the senshi made their escape.

Wait. Michiru held up her hand and then gestured Haruka to stay low. She shuffled back to the police car and opened the front door. She reached in and grabbed the confiscated weapons and their communicators. On second thought, she went back to the back seat and grabbed the handcuffs. She winked at her lover and mouth the word "later."

Haruka shook her head and chuckled.

* * *

The gentlemen placed the newly kidnapped children in a cage, along with the others. With his skeletal hand, one gentleman tapped on each kid's head. One, two, three, four, five...he stepped back and grinned. The others joined in and huddled around the cage. The monsters stared at the children gleefully. Soon, they would gather all seven of them….


	5. Clues

**Chapter 5-Clues**

* * *

Mina and Mako leapt from the ground to the balcony. The front of the house was busy with police and reporters. The two quietly slid the balcony door open and made their way inside. Mako's heart was pounding, as she got ready to defend themselves against humans and monsters.

It was never a problem before, when they were fighting evil in their sailor fuku. The police recognized them as allies, so they usually turn a blind eye. Now in civilian forms, they could easily be mistaken as perpetrators. Michiru and Haruka were already arrested. They've already lost two fighters.

Mina motioned Mako to follow her, but to stay low. Mina peeked out of the room and then quickly retreated. She mouthed the word "police" and held up four fingers. Mako pointed at the closet. They would have to wait it out until the police were gone.

Mina squeezed in with Mako. The closet was quite spacious but Mako was also bigger than most. Mina could feel Mako's body pressing up against hers. Awkwardly, face to face, the two stood while trying hard to distract their minds.

Mako's communicator beeped and she flipped it open. Ami waved at the screen and then typed

"where are you?"

"In a closet with Mina." Mako replied. She hoped Ami wouldn't misinterpret this. Ami raised an eyebrow. If she was jealous, Mako couldn't tell.

"Heard about the latest kidnapping. Michiru and Haruka said they escaped. They are circling back once the cops are gone. Check in with me if you find anything." With that, Ami waved goodbye and cut the connection.

Mina nudged Mako and smiled. She started making kissing noises. Mina had known about Mako's feeling towards Ami and Ami's toward Mako. For some reason, they never confessed to each other or try to make a move. Mina made a mental note to play Cupid once her voice was back.

Mako blushed and lightly punched Mina's arm, telling her to stop. Was Ami jealous? She was more abrupt than usual. Mako had loved Ami ever since they first met, but she didn't think Ami would feel the same way.

Just then, footsteps were heard outside in the hallway. Then they were downstairs. Finally, the cops were leaving. Mina quietly got out of the closet and opened the bedroom door. She waved to Mako to follow her.

Hair raised on Mako's back as she walked into the victim's room. The room was in disarray, evidence of the violence that happened in this house. Mako looked at the picture of the little girl and she felt pure rage rising. The gentlemen did this to her!

Mina looked around the room, unsure what clue she was supposed to be looking for. She called Ami on the communicator and showed her the room. Perhaps the genius could spot something useful.

Ami stared hard at the screen. She tried to approach this methodically, tried to ignore the horror of the situation. Right now, she had one job. Find the monsters and saved everyone. Then, she noticed something. "Mina, under the bed" she typed.

Mina bent over and reached for the rectangular object. There was a bloody handprint on it. Perhaps one of the parents threw it under while they were under attack. Mina flipped it open, her heart pounding….

The screen was cracked but it was still working, showing a map and a red blinking light. Mina showed it to Ami.

Ami gasped. "It's some sort of tracking device. The kid must be wearing a track able watch. These parents were prepared. Oh my gosh. Calling everyone now. Meet there."

* * *

Rei sat up quickly, glad to have her dream interrupted. The prophetic dream had returned. That creepy girl continued to sing that song while holding that wooden box. Rei wiped away her sweat on her forehead and picked up her beeping communicator.

There was an address and a message from Ami. "Meet there. Possible location of the kidnapped children. Be prepared." The fire senshi grabbed her bow and arrows and started running. Usagi and Chibiusa were coming out of their room too. The girls gave each other a look. They knew, somehow, that this was it. It would be their first battle without their full powers.


	6. Catch the Firefly

**Chapter 6-Catch the Firefly**

* * *

Akira touched the bracelet under her sleeve and reminded herself that help would be coming. The light blinked once earlier, meaning someone had received the distress signal she sent out. She was glad her mom forced her to wear it ever since the world lost its voice. She wished she didn't argue with her mom about wearing it to bed, if she knew that was the last conversation they would ever have. The last thing she saw before she was dragged away by the monsters were her parents turning into statues.

The toddler was getting fussy again and Akira picked the boy up and started rocking him. The gentlemen only gave them food once a day, according to another girl that was here before her. Akira was the oldest and she quickly assumed the role of group leader. She tried her best to comfort the little ones. It helped to take her mind off the grim reality.

The gentlemen were back. They started floating around the cage, eyeing their prizes with glee. The little ones huddled behind Akira. One reached in with his skeletal hands and stroke Akira's hair. Then he yanked hard and grabbed a handful of hair. Akira's face contorted in pain but she quickly told herself to be brave. It was just a few pieces of hair. Then….she watched in horror as the gentlemen started to open the cage...

* * *

Ami was running through the quiet alleys of Tokyo, wishing that she wouldn't run into any stray monsters at this hour. Panting and gasping for breath, she slowed down and leaned against the wall. Without her Mercury power, Ami realized how ordinary and how weak she was. She opened her computer and checked the map. Ten more blocks. She would never make it there on time. Everyone else could run like the wind, and Haruka was the wind. Urgh. She spotted a bike that wasn't chained down up ahead. Ami made a mental note of the address and decided to borrow the bike.

* * *

"Setsuna mama, please let me go with you." Hotaru pleaded silently. Setsuna mama was busy packing up her weapons bag and she had her back turned. Earlier, she told Hotaru to lock herself in the bedroom once she was gone. "I am a sailor senshi too, even though I am just a kid now. Chibiusa would be there, running head first into battle. I should help." Hotaru reasoned with herself and a decision was made. She already had the address. She could just sneak out.

"Stay here. Lock the door." Setsuna instructed with her written message. She emphasized her point by making a stern face and wagged her finger. Hotaru nodded obediently. She went into her bedroom and slid the newly installed lock into the hinge. Hotaru leaned against the door and listened. The front door opened and then pulled shut. The little firefly held her breath and count to ten. Then she turned to her bedroom window and pushed it open. Carefully she made her way across the roof and then jumped and rolled into the bushes down below. Unknown to her mamas and Haruka papa, Hotaru had explored the forest in detail and she knew a short cut to the road closest to the destination.

* * *

Chibiusa ran beside Usagi and Rei, struggled to keep up. She had to run twice as fast, in order to keep up with the two senshi. Her legs were burning, and so were her lungs. "Keep going. You can do it. You need to save those little kids." She thought in her head, pushing her body harder to accelerate.

Small Lady wasn't sure if she could be of any help, really. Perhaps she could use her small size to her advantage. Or perhaps she could get the kids out while the senshi were fighting. The small child clenched her fists. As the future princess, it was her duty to protect the innocents.

As Rei ran, she kept thinking about the box she saw in her dream. What was the significance of it? Why was the girl showing it to me? She wondered if Michiru had the same dream lately as well.

Rei was painfully aware of Usagi running beside her. She wanted the princess to stay at the temple, along with Chibiusa, but Usagi wouldn't listen. Even as a sailor, Usagi was never good at the one on one combat. She either land on her ass, or she needed rescuing. Now as a civilian, without the power of the moon crystal, Usagi was placing herself in grave danger.

* * *

Hotaru zigzag through the forest with ease. Even in the dark, the little firefly could navigate the routes with ease. Up ahead, she could see the clearing and then the main road. She looked down on the map on her communicator. So three blocks north of the forest was where the house was located. Quickening her pace, Hotaru kept running. Just then, she heard a twig snapped behind her. She stopped cold in her track, heart pounding. Before she could turn, a pair of skeletal hands grabbed her and floated up.

The gentlemen couldn't believe their luck. They sensed a child nearby so they went out to investigate. It was then they spotted the small purple hair child dashing through the forest. Something was different about this child. The gentlemen were excited. In a matter of seconds, they arrived at their base. Floated down to the basement, they opened the cage and threw the child in.

Hotaru landed on her hands hard and winced in pain. She looked up and saw four children and one toddler, all looking at her with curiosity. The tallest girl came forth and extended her hand. Hotaru took it and helped herself up.

Akira. The girl wrote on the dusty floor and then smiled at Hotaru. Hotaru quickly gave her name and then started scanning the room. They were inside a giant cage and there were two large pad locks on the cage door. The little firefly reached into her pocket and pulled out her Swiss knife. Haruka papa gave it to her for her last birthday and now she could finally use it.

Hotaru wiggled one of her hands out and reached around for the pad lock. The small child was terrified but she kept her face straight. She looked at the group of children, all younger, and she decided she needed to be brave for their sake. Akira kept an eye on the door, just in case if the gentlemen came down again. Akira reached up and felt her bald spot. She didn't understand why the gentlemen came in and took her hair. At least, she was relieved that they didn't come in to kill them.

Some faint sounds echoed through the hallway, Hotaru quickly withdraw her hand. When it was quiet again, Hotaru resumed picking the lock. She had never done this before, but in the movies, it seemed so easy. The basement was hot and humid, and Hotaru could feel sweat running down her back. Her hand was getting tired from twisting in an unnatural way. Akira tapped her on the shoulder and then pointed at herself. Hotaru handed the Swiss knife over to the young girl. Akira took over the spot and tried to pick the lock. Her hand was smaller and it was much easier to maneuver between the bars.

Just then, the basement door open and one gentleman floated down. He waved a pair of scissors and grinned at the children. Akira quickly hid the Swiss knife under her shirt. Hotaru stood in front of the others, her arms out stretched.

The gentleman opened the cage and then went straight toward Hotaru. The skeletal hands grabbed a handful of Hotaru's purple hair and the scissors started snipping. As if on purpose, the gentleman snipped randomly, leaving ugly bald spots on Hotaru's head. The little firefly struggled to keep her tears from falling. She refused to show weakness to the enemy. She couldn't wait for her mamas and papa to come crashing through the door and saved them all.

* * *

Michiru stop dead in her tracks, a sense of dread washed over her. Haruka stopped too and looked at Michiru quizzically. Michiru clutched her heart. She swore she could feel Hotaru in the house. How was that possible? She looked at the old house in front of her and felt an urge to run in first. Instead, she and Haruka stood there, waiting for the others. Ami insisted that they should all go together. The sea goddess paced impatiently, as her dread continue to increase...

Just then, Setsuna showed up. She bent over gasping for breath. One look at her friend, and Michiru knew her daughter was in trouble.

"Hotaru ran away. Did she come here?" Setsuna typed the message on her communicator and showed it to the couple. The paled look on Haruka's face answered the question. The three outer senshi looked at the house and knew something terrible must have happened to their little firefly.


	7. Showdown

**Chapter 7-Showdown**

* * *

Ami looked at her group of friends and gave them an affirmative nod. Time to storm the castle. Each armed with at least one weapon and a whistle each, the soldiers were ready to face the monsters. Haruka reached over and gave Michiru's hand a squeeze. "We will find her." She mouthed the words. Michiru gave a weak smile and nodded.

Ami turned the doorknob slowly to test it. It was unlocked. She pushed the door open quietly. The hallway was illuminated by a nightlight but mostly dark still. The group made their way in stealthily. Mercury computer in hand, Ami started scanning the room for heat signatures.

The computer pinged softly. Ami turned and pointed at a door leading to the basement. Mako stopped Ami before she opened the door. She motioned Ami to stand behind her. If there were any surprises behind that door, Mako would rather she took the first hit. After all, she was much stronger than the little water senshi.

Mako winced as the door made a loud squeaky noise. She peeked over the door. The basement was lit with only one light bulb in the ceiling. It smelt like mold and some other unidentifiable stench. Mako made her way down the stairs, while the others followed. Michiru, Haruka and Setsuna decided to guard the door, in case the enemy flanked them from this side.

Chibiusa turned on the flashlight and swept the room. She noticed an odd looking door near the corner of the room. She knocked on it softly.

 _Knock. Knock_. Someone replied from the other side. The lot rushed over. Ami got out her lock picks and started working. Mako raised her eyebrows, amazed at how the little genius could come so prepared. Was there any situations Ami did not foresee?

One minute past. The pad lock still wouldn't give. Mako motioned Mina to come forth; she then motioned Ami to step aside. Together, they slammed their shoulders into the door in unison. With two hits, the door cracked open.

"Hotaru." Chibiusa squealed silently as she raced into the room. She reached for her friend's hand, beaming with happiness. Hotaru's hair seemed to be chopped up, but other than that, she was not hurt. Chibiusa breathed a sigh of relief. Excited, Usagi ran up the stairs to tell the others. Moments later, Michiru came downstairs with Usagi.

"Don't worry. We will get you out of here." Ami typed the message into her computer and hit play. The children still looked fearful, but a glimmer of hope appeared in their eyes.

All of a sudden, a whistle sounded. Setsuna and Haruka were alerting them of the incoming attacks. Ami stayed behind with Minako and Chibiusa to keep working on the pad locks on the cage. The others rushed toward the stairs.

Setsuna landed hard on her back as she fell down the basement stairs. Haruka was still fighting. Even as a civilian, she had unnatural speed. It was the only advantage she had right now over the floating monsters. Wincing with pain, Setsuna propped herself up. One arm was bleeding but nothing seemed to be broken. She staggered back up the stairs, re-joining the fight.

Setsuna and Haruka fought hard to keep the monsters upstairs, but the sheer number of monsters overwhelmed them easily and started to spill into the basement.

Rei raised her bow and started shooting. Two arrows flew and made direct contact with two monsters. The gentlemen looked down at the arrows piercing their chests and smiled. Undeterred, they continued to advance. Each holding a sharp scalpel, they charged at the girls.

Mako shoved Usagi into the corner next to the shelves and motioned her to stay put. She and Michiru and Rei stood their grounds, holding up the second front. Usagi watched in horror. The arrows, the swords, the knives, none of them seemed to hurt the monsters at all. Makos dumped her sword on the ground and opt for hand to hand combat. Michiru and Rei followed.

 _Thud._ Rei was thrown and landed hard next to Usagi. Her back slammed into the bookshelf hard and the sound of impact was sickening. The bookshelf wavered and then started to tip forward. Without thinking, Usagi threw herself on top of Rei. The princess yelped in pain as she felt the crushing weight on her back.

The fire senshi opened her eyes in utter shock. Usagi laid over her, hurt and bleeding. The princess's kind eyes stared back, full of concern.

"Are you okay?" Rei mouthed the question. Usagi nodded slowly. Together, they shoved the heavy bookshelf aside. Rei sat Usagi down on the ground, making sure the princess was okay and then dove headfirst back into battle.

Usagi watched in amazement as their friends fought. Mako and Michiru fighting with their hands; Rei started chanting and threw the odufa at the monsters; Mina came out and joined the fight as well. She pulled out a long rope and started to whip at the gentlemen. Usagi could hear Setsuna and Haruka fighting upstairs as well. With each sickening thud, Usagi hoped it was the monsters falling and not her friends.

Out of the corner of her eyes, Usagi noticed something peculiar. It was a wooden box with weird markings on them. The princess picked it up and examined it in her hands. There was no lid, no opening. Usagi looked again for a hidden button.

"Hey", Usagi yelled silently while banging her hand on the bookshelf. The noise drew the scouts' attention, but the monsters as well. Rei and Michiru's eyes widen with disbelief, as they stared at the object.

Two gentlemen started to float toward Usagi. Their face expressions were different now. Instead of their proud and cocky smiles, they showed fear and anger for the first time. _Whoosh._ Mina whipped her rope around and lassoed the two monsters. With a hard yank, they fell to the ground.

"Break it now!" A computerized voice said. Usagi turned and saw Ami exiting the back room.

Usagi raised the box above her hand and hurled it as hard as she could to the ground. Everyone in the room held their breath as they wait. The wooden box bounced but it didn't break.

The monsters' mouths turned upward into a grin again. The box stayed protected under their spell. The leader of the group wagged his finger at the scouts, while shaking his head slowly. He was certain now, that the gentlemen would remain victorious.

* * *

 _A.N. Final chapter will be posted on Wednesday._


	8. The End

**Chapter 8-The End**

* * *

Mako grabbed her rival and flung the monster over her head. She leapt out of the way as two other gentlemen charged at her. The opponents continued to pile in, crowding the soldier. Her arms were getting tired and her lungs felt like they were on fire, but Mako continued fighting.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Ami and Rei protecting Usagi. She needed to get to Usagi. Duck, punch, fling. Duck, punch, fling. Mako slowly made her way through a pile of monsters.

Finally, the gentlemen started to get tired themselves and their advances slowed. Mako ran toward Usagi and grabbed the box. She mustered all of her strength and brought her fists down on the wood. A faint crack appeared on the lid. She continued to smash the box with her bare hands.

The gentlemen stopped fighting the others and they all started to converge. Scalpels out, they all floated toward Mako now.

The crack on the lid continued to travel downwards, increasing in size as the pressure on top increased. In one final blow, the crack reached the bottom and the box split wide open. A weird white fog appeared, floating in midair. Then the white fog split into million pieces and some flown into everyone's mouths. The rest flew out of the window.

Usagi felt the white mist entered and penetrated her throat. She remembered the story, how it was suppose to end. The princess needed to scream and killed all the monsters. Yet, Usagi despise the idea of killing.

"Moon cosmic power, make up!" Usagi's voice rang loud and clear and she called forth her power. The gentlemen backed away slowly as all the girls started transforming.

"Lend me your powers, everyone." Sailor Moon pleaded. "Let us heal everyone."

A bright light radiated out of the silver crystal, blinding the gentlemen. The monsters huddled down in fear, preparing themselves for their impending death.

The light filled the basement room and continued to expand. All over the world, the gentlemen and the citizens of the world looked up. All of the boxes in the world shattered and returned the voices to everyone.

The light washed over the gentlemen in the room and all over the world. Instead of exploding or dying, the gentlemen started to shrink….

Sailor Moon collapsed, as her energy was spent. In the room, instead of the monsters, a group of children appeared. They were wearing clothes from different decades. They looked around in confusion…..

Before she lost consciousness, Sailor Moon turned to Sailor Pluto. "Please, just this once, please help these kids. Return them to their rightful home and time. Please…."

* * *

Rei replaced the cold cloth on Usagi's forehead. The princess had slept for one day straight already. This time, Usagi had really pushed her power to its limit. After the battle yesterday, Usagi was barely breathing when she collapsed.

Rei took Usagi's hand and gently stroke it. No one would ever know how amazing this girl was. To the people on Earth, the monsters just magically disappeared. To the people on Earth, the last few days were incomprehensible so they blamed it on a virus.

"mmm…yum" Usagi started to stir and mumble.

"Usagi? Usagi?" Rei shook the princess gently.

Usagi grabbed Rei's hand and brought it close to her lips. Rei's heart pounded as her hand inched closer and closer…..Her eyes opened wide with disbelief and hope…

Usagi opened her mouth and bit down hard. Rei yelped in pain and jumped up. Startled, Usagi opened her eyes.

"Usagi…what the hell?" Rei stared down at the teeth imprint on her left hand. Unconsciously, she traced her hand around the indentations.

"Rei? Oh my gosh, what happened to your hand?" Usagi sat up and pulled Rei's hand in for closer inspection.

"You bit my hand…"

"I am so sorry. Hahaha…I was dreaming that I was at a buffet but they kept taking the food away. Finaly, I found a piece of chocolate on the ground. So I picked it up and took a bite…"

"Figures. This is what I get for taking care of you." Rei flicked her finger on Usagi's nose. "In the name of Mars, I will chastise you…for biting me."

"Ow. Rei you are mean to me again….Okay, I am going back to sleep forever then…." Usagi flopped down and closed her eyes. When she didn't hear anything from Rei, she opened one eye and peaked at Rei.

Rei's face was turned. She sniffled and then wiped something away from her face.

"Rei? Are you crying?"

"No! Usagi you baka. It was just allergies." Rei yelled defensively.

Usagi smiled warmly. "I am okay, really, Rei. Don't worry about me. I am alive, aren't I? And thank you for taking care of me…." Usagi reached for Rei's hand and planted a kiss on her injured part. "I am sorry I mistaken your hand as chocolate." She then kissed it again.

"I am gonna go tell the others that you are awake. Mamoru called and said he would be on the first flight back tomorrow." Rei stood up quickly and left the room.

Usagi bowed her head down in sadness. In the past few days, she had felt it more than ever. She was drawn to Rei, she knew that. "Rei, you baka. If I wasn't bound by destiny…If I could choose…."

 ** _~The End~_**

* * *

 ** _A.N. Thank you to all my readers. A new story Tabula Rasa will be posted on June 1st, which will be a continuation of this story but with a new villain. Once again, the scouts were put into a situation where they couldn't use their powers to stop an apocalypse._**

 ** _Pairing: Rei-Usagi, Ami-Mako and Michiru-Haruka._**


End file.
